Free Will Magick

Ask twenty people this question and you’ll get about nineteen and a half answers. When we just look through the history of the word, (primarily Northern European, btw), and track its progress through the centuries up through today, a significant pattern develops which really goes a long way towards explaining why everyone has their own opinion. Most of the known root words of “Witch” all began as terms for magick-users, following a Religion other than the dominant one.  This is an important distinction; even before Christianity came to Scandinavia, for example, there was a line drawn between the priests of the Norse pantheon and sorcerers who followed a different spiritual path. In those days, the deities of “witches” were most likely the gods of the earlier, animist tradition. When people shifted their spirituality away from worship of specific natural forces and towards a much more symbolic personification of the divine, the people who maintained their focus on the old gods became “witches” and the people who performed magick in the name of Freyja, or Baldr, became “priests”. (And to throw a bit of water on the “Christianity is the Original Evil” faction of the New-Age movement, there are records of written, anti-witch laws from the Norse Pantheon days as well…. Don’t believe anyone who says that any one group invented Prejudice) ;).

When Christianity rose to dominance in the social and political structure of these places, all of a sudden those priests of Freyja and Baldr joined the ranks of “witches” and “sorcerers”and the new worshipers of Jesus and Mary were the “priests”. As a religion became even more all-pervasive and the memory and tradition of the religion it replaced faded further and further from public consciousness, the specific names of the old deities were replaced with general terms, like “Demon”, or “Spirit”. The common pattern in the use of words like, “witch”, then, is that the designation is generally applied to people who are specifically performing magickal/mystical acts in the name of something other than the “Ruling” Religion.

The key thing that many people take away from this pattern is that in the larger scheme of things, the word “witch” doesn’t imply anything specific about the deities, religion, or beliefs of the people involved, but only really refers to their actions. This is where we get into a more modern interpretation of what a witch is; the term has taken on the relative implications that it really always had, because now we have common access to enough historical data to see the pattern. A “Witch” isn’t a Wind-worshiper, or an Odin-worshiper, or a Satan-worshiper, but only a person who does magick in a way not commonly sanctioned by whatever the dominant faith of their region is. Obviously there are still any number of people who associate the word with, “Someone doing something mystical who’s not Us”, but it can’t be denied that the availability of information in our Era has lead to a much larger community of people willing to examine the whole historical record. So, what is a witch? One Answer, (and the one that will be used for the purposes of this site, since it’s the one that I use): “Magick-User, Any Religion”.

…I would be more than happy at this point to digress into a lengthy, semiotic discussion of the larger implications of word-appropriation and redefinition in the construction of subcultures, but while I and quite possibly up to four other people would find that fascinating, I’ll restrain myself ;).

Coming Next: “Which Kind of Witch Are You?”

As some of you may notice, the dates on all of my posts seem to have mysteriously been changed to, “today”, in the past few hours. This is because one should never, ever, update one’s blog software when one has only been up for about an hour.

I really did back everything up. Srsly.

…Ok, so obviously I didn’t back everything up, but I really, really thought that I had! Anyway, thank the Goddess for online caching and the glories of cut-n-paste. The original “air dates” of all of the posts are now listed in the title and we’ll just go from here, shall we?

To make up for the confusion, here is a Very Embarrassed Bunny:

In working out the presentation and information on my website, the one area that I really feel is lacking is the page devoted to “Spellwork”. Part of the reason for this is that I’ve always been half-reluctant to offer spell services at all. As I look around the Internet, it seems to me that the vast majority of Spellcasting websites are filled with misleading, outlandish and downright exploitive advertising. While a part of me wonders how anyone could believe half of the claims made on these sites, I also recognize that when people are feeling desperate, they’re more apt to act out of that feeling, ignoring the rational voices in their own minds. I’ve always been extremely disturbed by the idea that I might inadvertently mislead a client who was feeling desperate and so if anything, I’ve tended to strongly discourage spells as anything but an option to be considered after long, careful and clear-headed consideration. While I’m certainly not claiming that I’m a 7th Generation Wiccan, (difficult for a religion established in the 1960’s), and while I’m not offering to cast glamors to turn anyone into a unicorn, (don’t laugh, I’ve seen it), the fact is that I do believe that magick can help in certain situations. I also happen to believe that we weren’t placed on this earth to use a spell to fix every problem and that to expect magick to fix something so that we can avoid doing anything more difficult ourselves is not only foolish, but very likely a waste of time which could have been better spent

Expressing the balance of these beliefs has always been the challenge. I do what I can, by requiring a reading to determine practical options before spellwork is considered and by all but posting big, flashing, “Go Away”, signs on my Spellwork page. The problem is that there is a serious lack of clarity and information about how and why I still do magick. In an attempt to remedy this, I’m going to be posting a series of blogs here explaining my own history with witchcraft, my “philosophy of magick” and some of the practical ways that I go about this type of work. I hope that they’ll be useful for people exploring spellwork as an option for their issues, as well as for people exploring magick and witchcraft as an element to their spirituality.

To be very clear, I am a Solitary, Non-Affiliated Witch. I do not follow the Wiccan religion, not because I think it’s incorrect, but simply because the structure of it as an organized religion isn’t something that I personally identify with. If you would like information about Wicca, specifically, then I would highly recommend Wicca For the Rest of Us - http://wicca.timerift.net, which is a site devoted to exploring the historically accurate roots of Wicca and to a free and open religious and spiritual environment. (I’m not affiliated in any way with that site and I doubt they even know I exist. They’re just very neat!) Nothing that I write about Magick, Witchcraft, or Spirituality should be taken as an authoritative statement about the ways in which other people practice. I’m on a very individual path, because its one that fits my needs, priorities and beliefs; that doesn’t mean that I think you should be on it too ;).

Coming Next… “What’s a Witch, Which Kind are You and Why?”

The auguries are unclear. Please pet the cat and consult them later.

Isis does not feel that this question merits so much time away from the kitten. She is helping to speed the process along by arranging the cards in a more sensible fashion. *nods*
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Saturday! By an overwhelming majority of “Nearly Everyone”, to, “One” ;). Thanks to all of you who gave your input on this and thank you also as we all work through the adjustment period of instituting this.

Psychic Re-Charge Saturday
Please note that I do not process new Orders, returned Question Forms, Live Availability, or Any Other Communication from 9pmEST Friday through 10amEST Sunday. If your order, or related communication is sent during this time it will be processed and scheduled as though it were received on Sunday.

Example: A reading purchased at 10pmEST Friday will be processed on Sunday and the Processing Times listed for that reading will begin then.
If you have any questions about how/if this will affect your reading, please don’t hesitate to ask! I’m always happy to help ensure that your experience is a pleasant one!

In a further attempt to keep up with orders and processing time, I am going to be implementing a “day off” on Ebay and on FreeWillMagick.  This will be one day per week when I will not process new orders, or communication, which will allow me to catch up from the busiest parts of the week and also to get Follow-Up Emails out in a more timely fashion.  (And heck, maybe even post a blog, or two if I’m really lucky!) ;)  The two days which I’m considering are Thursday, or Saturday, either of which tend to be “slower”, week to week.

I would like to make this transition as convenient as possible for my regular clients, so I’m giving you a say in which day it is!  If you have an opinion on which day of the week you’d prefer not to be able to get hold of me, then post to this blog with either, “Thursday”, or “Saturday”, as the body of your message.  I will tally the votes as they come in and let you all know which day is the “winner” prior to posting it online.  I appreciate your help as I work through these adjustments and I welcome your input in this decision! 
NOTE: If you have already voted through the FreeWillMagick email mailing list, no fair cheating!  Remember your Karmic balance and only vote once!

If you order a reading in the near future, you might notice a few changes in the way that processing times are handled. Due to higher than expected demand, (Thank You All!) :), and in an effort to continue to provide consistent, quality Email readings to everyone, the time between the return of Question Forms and my response with your reading has been increased from 48 hours to 72 hours. I understand that there may be times when someone needs a reading sooner than that, so I will be posting a Limited number of Email Readings with a 48-hour return time in Auctions on Ebay . These readings will have a slightly higher price, primarily to encourage people to purchase through my Ebay store and through the site at the old, lower price, unless it’s an emergency.. (Ebay increases their fees at the new price, so please do not purchase one of these readings thinking that I will make more from it… As always, fee-less readings from FreeWillMagick.com are best for me!)

Live Readings are not being changed in any way and hopefully as the longer return times allow me a bit more time to catch up on busy days, most of you will not notice a significant difference in the time that it takes for you to get your reading. If you purchased a reading prior to today, under the old 48-hour return time, I will honor that agreement, unless you Specifically email me and let me know that you would not mind waiting an extra day. There is no pressure to do so and please know that your reading will not be delayed unless you email me yourself.

“Twin Flame”, “Soulmate”, “Meant to be”… however you put it, this concept has been the bane of legitimate psychics, marriage counselors and therapists for going on a few decades. The idea that there is one, perfect, all-inclusive and absolute person out there for everyone, that you’ll never find happiness without finding that person and that when you do find them, absolutely nothing can break you apart is one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome for anyone working with people on relationship issues.

Let’s take the popular term, “Twin Flame”: The problems start coming up right from the start. This term and concept has no basis in tried and true spiritual thought. It’s actually a mish-mash of a metaphor referenced in Plato, from Greek mythology, (that humans originally had 8 limbs and 2 heads, but that Zeus split them in half because he was jealous), and the idea in some religions that God decides before you’re born who you’re “supposed” to be with. The bizarre thing is that this was actually pretty much just a way for societies to make sure that women couldn’t complain when they were married off against their will. Thinking for two seconds about that will put most modern women and men off the idea of “Pre-Destined Love”, (and their lunch), for good.

“Soulmate” is a term used mostly in terms of multiple-life, reincarnation spirituality. It simply means someone with whom you have unfinished karmic business from a past life. This “karmic business” could be the result of a feud which was never resolved, a friendship which was abused, etc. A “Soulmate” may also be someone with whom you have a “teaching link”, where the two of you are brought into contact in order to learn from one another. A good example is a man who in a previous life abused his wife, who is then brought in contact with a close friend, or relative suffering abuse. The “former abuser” learns about empathy and compassion and his perspective and understanding lends strength to the loved one he’s supporting. These kinds of karmic bonds can result in all kinds of relationships in your present life, including family, friends, co-workers and even “enemies”, (though this is usually a relationship state we are meant to fix, not accept… Lol). All that matters is that both parties learn what they were supposed to and balance the karmic scales. While a romantic relationship can be part of a a Soulmate connection, it in no way defines the term. Successful Soulmates do not need to be romantic, (and often really shouldn’t be; see above, re: “family”), and successful romantic relationships don’t need to be between Soulmates.

Sadly, some new-age gurus and “pop-psychics” have discovered that some people actually feel comforted by the twisted concept of “Twin Flames” and the blatant misinterpretation of “Soulmates”, and so they’ve trumpeted both loudly as some kind of “ancient wisdom”. Most modern, thinking spiritual workers know these are false, but some consider them harmless, if annoying, fibs. They’re not. The idea that the Universe has decided who you’re supposed to be with and has decided that the other person has no choice in the matter either, takes away from people all sense of responsibility for their actions, and also encourages them to think that taking away the free will of others can be a good thing too. From here it’s just a short step to justifying casting love spells to make that person, “see the truth”, since we can tell ourselves that they were supposed to love us anyway, so we’re really just helping the Universe/God along. It’s bad news all around.

I’m aware of how preachy I get on this issue, but as I said, in all my years of giving romance readings and doing spellwork, I have had to help people through more personal messes that could have been avoided right from the start if someone had just explained that everyone does, in fact, have free will and that it doesn’t say anywhere that they’re “destined” to be with that guy they like. Lol.

Now, just because your future isn’t fore-ordained doesn’t mean that a psychic reading on an existing, or potential relationship can’t be useful. In fact, it’s a lot more useful if you understand that concept, because since we all do have free will, our actions do make a difference in what happens in our future. Finding out ahead of time what the consequences of our current actions and choices will be allows us to change things if we don’t like where they’re headed. Knowing you’re going to die in a train crash is pretty pointless if you’re already on the train, with no way off. Knowing which trains to avoid ahead of time and where all of the emergency exits are, is a lot more effective ;).

One of the most difficult things about interpreting our dreams is the difference between the way our subconscious minds work and the way our conscious minds work. Our conscious minds are “logical” and “linear”. We interpret things to be what they look like. We try to avoid making assumptions based on anything but what our basic senses tell us. This is a survival mechanism and it’s the reason our conscious minds are running the day-to-day show when we’re awake. However, our subconscious minds are quite different. In our subconscious, we use Symbols to represent other concepts. An evil man becomes a wolf, Nature becomes a woman with fruit in her hair… fairy tales and myths are filled with these kinds of symbolic images. Because of this, what we see in our dreams should very often not be taken literally.

In interpreting dreams, I find that it’s really useful to talk with people about subconscious symbols and the way our minds work before I begin, since it saves so much time and misunderstanding in the long run. On a purely, “1 +1 = 2″ level, it makes sense. If your dream about hamsters only meant that you were getting a hamster tomorrow, there probably wouldn’t need to be 20 jillion books out there about dream symbolism and interpretation. There are lots of resources out there about symbolism and the subconscious mind, if you’re interested in doing some of your own research. Resources about cultural myths and mythical symbols are useful as well, since our subconscious symbols tend to mesh with the symbols and associations that we’re raised with. (Someone from Islamabad may have some significantly different interpretations of the color black in a dream than someone from New Jersey, for example).

I would actually encourage you to steer clear of the more “mystical” dream-interpretation sites at first, since they tend to be long on fun and fluff, and short on clear explanations of why that giant pink guinea pig you dreamed about represented your first-grade teacher ;). Like reading a pamphlet of basic Tarot card meanings, they can be really great short-hand ways to find out what a specific dream meant, but if you’re really interested in learning how dreams are interpreted in general, look for the more nuts-n-bolts study sources.